School Spotlight

Kennesaw State University

Location:Kennesaw, Georgia

Type:Public

Tell Kennesaw State University to revise its speech policies by filling out this form.

Speech Code Rating

Kennesaw State University has been given the speech code rating Yellow. Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application.
Read more

28) Bullying and Cyberbullying. Bullying and cyberbullying are repeated and/or severe aggressive behaviors that intimidate or intentionally harm or control another person physically or emotionally, and are not protected by freedom of expression.
Read More

Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct, based on sex or on gender stereotypes, that is implicitly or explicitly a term or condition of employment or status in a course, program, or activity; is a basis for employment or educational decisions; or is sufficiently severe, persistent, or per... Read More

Kennesaw State University (“KSU”) recognizes and is committed to upholding the First Amendment rights of all individuals, including freedom of speech and peaceable assembly.
…
For students, student organizations, and other members of the KSU community, open outdoor areas of campus are venues for expression. Th... Read More

At present, FIRE has not been publicly involved in any cases at this school.

A former Kennesaw State University cheerleader recently secured a $145,000 settlement after KSU tried to prevent her from protesting during the national anthem. This large sum reflects the high cost universities pay for violating student-athlete expressive rights. Several KSU cheerleaders started their protest on Sept. 30, 2017, at the second home game of KSU’s football… Read more

Kennesaw State University in Georgia settled two lawsuits last month filed on behalf of several students and student organizations, agreeing to revise several unconstitutional speech codes and pay attorney’s fees to Alliance Defending Freedom, counsel in both cases. In late October, Kennesaw State settled Ratio Christi of Kennesaw State University v. Olens, filed after university… Read more

In late August, Southern Illinois University rescinded a restrictive student-athlete speech policy it passed in response to its cheerleaders kneeling during a national anthem before a football game. About a week later, cheerleaders at Kennesaw State University sued their school for prohibiting them from engaging in the same expressive conduct. This lawsuit, and SIU’s waffling… Read more

Art purged for being “one-sided,” among other excuses Censors, often not understanding the message, ban art rather than grapple with its meaning PHILADELPHIA, July 10, 2018 — Art censorship is nothing new. Spanish conquistadors smashed ceramics of ancient Peruvian cultures that portrayed gay and lesbian sex. The Roman Catholic Church of the 15th century was… Read more

Earlier this month, Kennesaw State University (KSU) offered to reinstall an exhibit that was removed just before the grand opening of its new Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art because of concerns that it wasn’t “celebratory” enough for the occasion and might might offend some visitors. The exhibit, created by Georgia State University professor Ruth Stanford, chronicled the history of writer Corra Harris’ homestead and included text by Harris in which she rationalized the lynching of African-Americans. Stanford has agreed to allow KSU to restore the exhibit, but expressed concern that KSU “continues to control the conversation” surrounding the art.

Kennesaw State University has posted a statement to its website attempting once again to explain its decision to remove the exhibit. The statement plainly acknowledges that KSU administrators considered the subject matter of the installation.

Students at colleges across the country are encouraging their peers to exercise their right to free speech by building “free speech walls” on their campuses—displays where students can write or draw whatever they want. Free speech walls are a great way for students to share ideas in a public way. For example, student group Dorm… Read more